Vick and Head Named to 2013 Midwest League All Star Team

After a lackluster start, the Lake County Captains finally seem to be settling to a groove. Although they are still second-last in the Midwest League Eastern division (20-34, .370), before their game on June 5, the Captains have won five of their last six games, including a season-high four game winning streak from May 29 through June 1.

Numerous players have helped the team along in this newfound road to success, including two recently named to the Midwest League All Star Team.

Outfielder Logan Vick and relief pitcher Louis Head were named Midwestern League All Stars on June 5th. The All-Star game will be played on Tuesday, June 18, at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio.

Offensively, Vick played a vital role in the Captains recent winnings. During the May 30 game against the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Vick hit his second home run of the season during the third inning. He also singled during the game.

Vick again proved his importance during the Captains’ fourth straight win on June 1 against the Dayton Dragons. Vick singled during the first inning, providing an RBI for Erik Gonzalez. He also managed to score on a wild pitch during that first inning and assisted in bringing the Captains to an early 3-0 lead.

Vick hit a sac fly during the third inning to send Gonzalez home again. Although Dayton attempted to put more runs on the board late in the game, they were no match for the Captains, or Vick, who scored on a single from Joe Sever in the seventh inning to put the Captains at a final score of 7-3 over Dayton.

During their 6-5 win on June 3, Vick again singled in the first inning and scored off a single from Anthony Santander, while also driving home Dorssys Paulino in the seventh inning on a single.

Although the Captains lost their June 2 game 8-3 against the Dragons, Vick still demonstrated his worth with an RBI ground out in the first inning.

Before the Captains’ game against South Bend on June 5, Vick was hitting .269 on the season. He had appeared in 49 games, with 42 hits, eight doubles, three triples and two home runs. He had hit 22 RBIs and earned 29 walks, while fanning 36 times. Vick also had eight stolen bases on the season.

Vick is a league leader with six outfield assists on the season. The 22-year old was the Indians 11th round draft pick in the 2012 draft out of Baylor University. He is originally from Kerrville, Texas.

Right-handed pitcher Head (0-0) was an asset to the Captains in their 1-0 win over the Dragons on May 31. He earned his third save of the season during his appearance.

Head struck out Dayton’s Jesse Winker in the ninth inning of May 31’s game. Winker had previously put the Captains’ lead in jeopardy during the seventh inning, when he hit a double with only one out.

Head has pitched in 17 games for the Captains this season. He posts a 1.27 ERA. In his 21.1 innings pitched for Lake County, Head has given up 16 hits and only three earned runs. He has not allowed any home runs, has allowed five walks and pitched 17 strikeouts.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Head pitches a low-90s fastball, a slider and a curveball. He pitched one game with the Columbus Clippers this season, on June 1. He there 1.2 innings, giving up two hits, issuing two walks and throwing two strikeouts.

Head, 23 years old, is from Katy, Texas. He was drafted in the 18th round of the 2012 draft from Texas State University.

Head ended his 2012 season in Lake County, while this is Vick’s first season with the Captains.

For a team that began the season so sluggishly, having two players representing Lake County may have seemed like a pipe dream only a few weeks ago. However, with Vick and Head headed to Dayton in just under two weeks, it doesn’t seem like that much of a long shot that even more success is underway for the Captains. If they can continue their winning ways, it may not even be out of the question for the whole team to make a playoff run at the end of the season.

Along with strong players such as Vick and Head, the Captains have also seen recent success from catcher Eric Haase, who currently leads the team with five home runs. Third baseman Gonzalez is hitting .258, and outfielder LeVon Washington is leading the team with nine stolen bases.

Maybe I’m overly optimistic in thinking that the rest of the season will improve exponentially for the Captains. But that’s the plague of being a Cleveland sports fan – even when things look bleak, you can find the silver lining and hope for better things to come.

Vick and Head are more than a silver living, though. They are an indication that the Captains are a diamond in the rough, finally getting a chance to shine.

To see Vick and Head play in the All Star game on June 18, fans can purchase tickets from Ticketmaster or can watch on MiLB TV.